3 senior Hamas military leaders killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza

An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza overnight killed three high-ranking members of Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, the militant group said Thursday. Seven civilians were also killed.

The three members of the Brigades' 15-member military council were killed in a bombing in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to Hamas.

The announcement of their deaths comes the day after Hamas said an Israeli strike had killed the wife and at least two children of Mohammed Deif, the head of the military wing. Deif's 7-month-old son was killed, and the body of one of his daughters was removed from the rubble later, according to Hamas. Another of Deif's daughters is missing and believed to be buried in the rubble. The strike failed to kill Deif, Hamas said.

Role in capture of Israeli soldier

The militant group, which controls Gaza, said the leaders killed overnight were Mohammed Abu Shamala, Raed al-Attar and Mohammed Barhoum.

A crater the size of a residential block was left at the site of the airstrike.

According to Palestinian officials, Israeli airstrikes have killed 27 since midnight local time (5 p.m. ET Wednesday).

Hamas vowed revenge for their deaths.

"The assassination of the Qassam leaders is a great Israeli crime that will not succeed in breaking the will of our people or even weaken the resistance, and Israel will pay the price," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

Al-Attar, the commander of the Qassam Brigades in Rafah, is believed to be the most senior of the three.

The Israeli military said it had confirmed that it killed the three men. It described al-Attar and Abu Shamala as "high-ranking Hamas commanders responsible for major terror attacks against Israelis."

Al-Attar played a "major role" in the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, the Israel Defense Forces said on its Twitter account. Shalit was held captive until a deal was struck for his release in 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

"This morning's strike sends a clear message to those responsible for planning attacks," IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said in a statement. "We will strike those that have terrorized our communities, towns and cities, we will pursue the perpetrators of abduction of our soldiers and teenagers, and we will succeed in restoring security to the State of Israel."